Top 10 New and Noteworthy New York City Restaurants: July 2013

What's hot in the New York City restaurant scene right now

This month, Brooklyn is all the restaurant rage, with half of the hot openings out in the borough. Meanwhile in Manhattan, a favorite noodle spot expands; an Iron Chef explores new territory; and an Italian Midtowner continues a trend.

Blink and you’ll miss a restaurant opening in New York City; eateries debut and shutter at a fast clip in the Big Apple. To keep yourself up-to-date on NYC’s hottest restaurant openings, check out our top 10 newbies for July 2013.

Atrium DUMBOWith its mezzanine seating and shiny, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the waterfront, there are few better viewpoints while dining out in DUMBO than Atrium. Chef Laurent Kalkotour’s dishes, such as veal sweetbreads with charred scallion, chorizo and onion, draw inspiration from his Provencal roots and his culinary heritage. Kalkotour’s great-grandfather was a Michelin-starred chef in the old country, after all. 15 Main St., Brooklyn, 718-858-1095, AtriumDumbo.com

Corvo Bianco (Photo: courtesy of Corvo Bianco)

Corvo Bianco
Chef Elizabeth Falkner has tackled everything from French fine dining to pastry to pizza; now she expands her repertoire with coastal Italian cuisine on the Upper West Side. Diners can practically hear the waves crashing on the rocky cliffs while enjoying seafaring pastas such as trenette nere, squid-ink strands with sea urchin, to whole branzino, simply grilled with lemon and herbs. Dishes like rabbit cacciatore will satisfy landlubber appetites. 446 Columbus Ave., 212-595-2624, corvobianco.com

Ippudo West (Photo: courtesy of Ippudo West)

Ippudo West
After a two-year wait, ramen fans finally have a new spot to noodle around in in Midtown. The same rich bowlfuls of porky soups have made the commute from the East Village original, along with an array of all-new appetizers such as spring rolls stuffed with prosciutto, beets, shisho leaf and brie. The wheat-averse will be happy to hear of the gluten-free shojin ramen. 321 W. 51st St., 212-974-2500, ippudony.com

Khe-Yo
Leave it to Iron Chef Marc Forgione to delve into one of NYC’s most unexplored ethnic territories: Lao cuisine. Forgione and his Laotian-born executive chef, Soulayphet Schwader, introduce New Yorkers to Southeast Asian staples such as sticky rice and lemongrass spareribs in a 64-seat Tribeca dining room. 157 Duane St., 212-587-1089, kheyo.com

King Noodle
Face it: there’s nowhere else you’ll find mapo chili cheese fries or kimchee carbonara with crushed Doritos besides this off-the-wall new Asian. Bushwick chef Nick Subic, an alum of equally wacky neighborhooder Do or Dine, is set on making even the most disparate flavor combos jibe. The brightly colored, neon-edged decor, an homage to Asian pop, grabs just as much attention as the menu. 1045 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn, 718-456-6543, kingnoodlebk.com

Luksus at Torst (Photo: courtesy of Luksus at Torst)

Luksus
The back room of popular Greenpoint beer bar Torst now holds a tasting menu-only Nordic restaurant. Innovative plates, such as lamb breast with marble potatoes, sunchokes and lamb’s tongue, come from chef Daniel Burns, who has spent some time in the world’s most creative kitchens, namely Noma and the Momofuku test lab. 615 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, 718-389-6034, luksusnyc.com

Motorino Williamsburg
After closing the doors at the Williamsburg original two years ago, and then opening in the East Village and Hong Kong, pizza king Matthieu Palombino triumphantly returns to the neighborhood. The wood-burning oven, imported from Naples, sits front and center, turning out signature pies and new additions such as a porchetta-stuffed calzone. 139 Broadway, Brooklyn, 718-599-8899, motorinopizza.com

Nourish (Photo: Courtesy of Nourish)

Nourish
Villagers are using this restaurant, take-out cafe, and shop as their kitchen and pantry away from home. Locals sail in and out throughout the day, starting with a morning coffee and a scone, perhaps grabbing a tote packed with a picnic lunch, and popping back in time for a sit-down dinner of roast chicken with Moroccan spices and rose petals. There’s plenty to browse on the shelves, too, from handcrafted wooden bowls to studded linen aprons. 95 Greenwich Ave., 212-242-6115, nourishkitchentable.com

Quality Italian
Old-school is the new thing, especially when it comes to Italian restaurants. This bi-level Midtown sibling to Quality Meats picks up on the trend, serving spins on red-sauce classics such as chicken parmiagiana and various cuts of prime bistecca. Tableside service, like shelling a lobster fra diavolo, custom-blending a steak sauce and a roving cannoli cart, caps the retro feel. 57 W. 57th St. 212-390-1111, qualityitalian.com

The Elm
Paul Liebrandt, the British-born modernist of Tribeca‘s Michelin-starred Corton, brings his refined cuisine to a more casual Williamsburg setting. While the menu is divided into the straightforward categories of “raw,” “sea,” “land” and “shared,” plates such as gnudi scallop “tom yum,” with spring onions and lemon balm couldn’t be more carefully, or geniusly, composed. 160 North 12th St., Brooklyn, 718-218-1088, theelmnyc.com